It is known that α-trifluoromethyl-α,β-unsaturated esters are important as intermediates for pharmaceutical and agricultural chemicals. There have been reported, as conventional production techniques relevant to the present invention, dehydration processes that use thionyl chloride (SOCl2), diphosphorus pentaoxide (P2O5), acetic anhydride [(CH3CO)2O] and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid anhydride [(CF3SO2)2O] as dehydrating agents (see Non-Patent Documents 1 to 6 and Patent Document 1). Among others, the process using the trifluoromethanesulfonic acid anhydride is applicable to even raw substrates in which the acidity of the β-position proton is low (whereby the desired reaction is unlikely to proceed) and is thus regarded as one most superior process.
Further, the present applicant has disclosed a process of dehydroxyfluorination of an alcohol with the combined use of sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) and an organic base (see Patent Document 2).